Équinoxe du Printemps (French for "spring equinox") is the quintessential marriage of two great traditions: beer brewing in Scotland, and maple syrup production in Quebec. At the first draught, the mouth is overcome by woody, malty flavours, sustained by a discrete touch of sweetness. The aftertaste brings about the flavours of maple, which are sufficiently present to be appreciated, but never overwhelming the typical flavours of a Scotch Ale.

Equinoxe du printemps is brewed only once a year in January. It is aged for two months in order to attain a perfect balance in taste. Then, it is sold starting March 21st, until stocks last.

The Equinoxe du printemps was born in our Montreal brewpub in February 1999.

Reviews by ToasterChef:

More User Reviews:

Ruby red crowned by a quickly fading tan froth. Has a simple aroma of maple syrup, spice, sweet bread and plum. Tastes of brown bread covered in maple syrup, grain, plum and a hint of black grape. Medium-to-heavy in body with a flick of alcohol at the very end. Sweet all the way through but never cloying and just as balanced as you could wish for. (352 characters)

Had on tap at the Blue Monk last night.Came to the table in a goblet a burnt orange infused chesnut brown with a thin head atop.Brown sugar,dark fruit,maple,and lightly roasted nut in a rich nose.Thick and chewey the mouthfeel is everything you would want in the style.Dark fruit and brown sugar malt flavors with atinge of mable,as it warmed sweet alcohol cameinto play.I really enjoyed this warming wee heavy. (411 characters)

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a 16 oz Harp glass. Firm pour yields the thinnest of heads the evaporates very quickly. Very spotty light lace. Color is interesting, almost cider like, a very murky, clouded light brown.

Nose- Sour, sweet, and malty. Sour, almost rotting green apples. Interesting as I thought the maple syrup would come through.

Taste- Wow. Very different then the nose. Some dark fruits, cherries and dates, apple pie. Lots of firm malty caramel backing. Burnt caramelized sugar, a pleasant maple finish. Very warming in finish.

Mouthfeel- Thin and dry but not cloying

Drinkability- Very nice but strong, and I am only half way through. (677 characters)

Equinoxe du Printemps, a Maple Scotch Ale, smells quite a bit like beer mixed lightly with cognac. The toasted grains and clean-but-light hoppiness of an ale are still present, but joined by strong vanillas and maple sugars, and just a hint of oak.

On the tongue, the beer is incredibly complex and bursting with flavors. In fact, it's hard to nail down exactly what's going on, so varied are the flavors that run across the tongue. Maple syrupy sugars are present, yes, but joined by orange notes that would seem more fitting in, say, Cointreau (or a similar orange liqueur). Huge banana and vanilla blasts trumpet the background, as well as a chorus line of bourbon or whisky-like alcoholic high kicks. Many of the main flavors of the brew are actually more liqueur-like than beer-like, and if the ale has one weakness, it's that it possesses an overwhelming alcohol taste that even the 9.5% ABV can't quite explain. Despite this, the brew maintains a relatively light mouthfeel.

Overall, while the taste of alcohol does prove detrimental, Equinoxe is a great beer. I only wish I didn't have to drive to Montreal every time I wanted one. (1,143 characters)

Split with fellow BA infi for my birthday night of drinking! Poured into a snifter from a bottle.

Appearance is a translucent reddish-orange that fills the glass easily. Head is about a quarter-inch thick and lightly colored, dissipating slowly and leaving a substantial amount of lacing. The nose is full of malts, malts and more malts. Really sweet smelling, especially with the slight wafting of the advertised maple syrup at the end.

Taste is sweet and malty right off the bat, as expected. Bitterness is almost non-existent, just a light tinge in the middle of the sip. Finishes off with the touted maple syrup flavoring, with a light aftertaste that doesn't linger too long. Definitely a sugary-tasting brew, one of the sweeter kinds I've had. The hefty 9.5% ABV is only detectable after letting it warm up for a bit. Mouthfeel is on the lighter side, doesn't weigh down the tongue too much and has the faintest bit of carbonation. Goes down easy and smooth.

An interesting and flavorful brew to say the least. Drinkability is only slightly impaired by the weighty ABV. Given the right situation, I definitely could have knocked down another one. Not bad for my first wee heavy. Will have to try others of the same style to compare! (1,242 characters)

341ml bottle - spring has decided to turtle once again, here in late May, so I drink this ode to it with muffled irony.

This beer pours a murky, dark brownish orange colour, with three fingers of thick, puffy, and creamy beige head, which displays very good retention, leaving some decent sudsy chainlink lace around the glass.

The carbonation is quite low, and almost invisible at times, the body a prominent medium-heavy weight, thick, viscous, somewhat oily, and creamy - a sledgehammer of pleasure on my palate. It finishes well off-dry, the complex malt offset by the lingering besotted fruitiness, and some late-arriving earthy, leafy, and slightly perfumed hops.

Suffice it to say the emphasis is on the 'heavy' in this wee heavy - Fat Bastard himself would be proud! One smooth-drinking, filling, and cockles-warming elixir, this one is. An appropriate offering for we north of the 49th parallel, as the onset of springtime predicated by the equinox normally still means snow on the ground and sub-zero temps that have overstayed their welcome. (1,457 characters)

Enjoyed on-tap at Mondiale 2008. One of several maple offerings. Creamy orange colour with a bit of head. Aroma is malty and fruity. Taste is malt and alcohol, with tart fruit finish. White lacing. ABove average mouthfeel.Aged in wood, complex, a sipper that reminds me of an oaked barleywine. (293 characters)